IPL 2026: Tournament will start from March 28, final will be played on May 31- report

Updated: 27-02-2026, 07.39 PM

What is the news?

The dates for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) have been announced.
cricinfo According to, IPL 2026 will start from March 28 and its final match will be played on May 31. According to reports, the IPL Governing Council will meet next week to finalize the plan for releasing the schedule. Let us tell you that assembly elections are to be held in some states, due to which the official announcement of the schedule has been delayed.

Complete program may be announced next week

There is also news that the official announcement of IPL schedule will be made next week. The dates for assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have not been announced yet. IPL matches are to be played in these states. Earlier in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024, IPL matches were played in 2 parts parallel to the elections. It is expected that the Governing Council may keep the same plan this time also.

Where will the first match take place?

It is not yet clear whether the first match of the tournament will be played at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru or not. Usually the first match of the IPL is played at the home ground of the defending champion, but there is still uncertainty about Chinnaswamy’s future. However, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional approval from the state government to hold IPL matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.